Changes in the food preferences and purchase behaviors in the new normal: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: During the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic, food preferences and consumption behaviors of consumers began to change. This study aims to examine changes in food preferences and purchasing habits in the new normal of COVID-19 after lockdown. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the anonymous online survey hosted by the forms.app was shared via social media from July to August 2021, targeting Turkish residents 18-65 years old. The questionnaire was developed based on related literature by authors. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS© Statistics for Windows, version 20.0. Results: A total of 1033 women (90.4%) and 110 men (9.6%) participated in this study, between the ages of 26-37. During the new normal period of the pandemic, 40.3% of the participants have increased online food shopping, and 44.1% of the participants decreased food shopping via the markets, greengrocers, or local markets. While sex, age, income, marital status, and chronic disease did not differ significantly in the change in online shopping (p>0.05), education level and labor status were significantly different (p<0.05). 55.6% of the participants reported that the COVID-19 pandemic affected their food choice. Purchasing of foods perceived as healthy according to participants was a lot and quite a lot as %38.7 affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. A high percentage of the participants increased their consumption of healthy foods such as foods containing vitamin C, fruits, vegetables, nuts, protein-rich foods, probiotic foods, and water consumption increased. Conclusions: The food purchasing behavior and the consumption of foods consumed have been changed in the new normal period of COVID-19.